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Caption

Robot surgery. Surgeon (left, at console) performing minimally invasive surgery (MIS) on a patient's heart using da Vinci, a remotely-controlled surgical robot (centre right). The surgeon can view a three-dimensional image of the operation site from an endoscope (flexible viewing instrument). The da Vinci system allows precise control of surgical tools through an incision just 1 centimetre wide. Da Vinci was designed by Intuitive Surgical Incorporated of California, USA. Photographed during a heart bypass operation at the CHU Saint-Pierre Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.